aperture where Pouchskin was standing ready
for him.

This, of course, finished the affair. It was only necessary to remove
the palisades, sling the bear to a tree, and then strip him of his
much-coveted skin. All this in due time was accomplished; and with the
robe once more packed on the shoulders of Pouchskin, the hunters
returned to their headquarters.

It proved--as the Quan had promised them--to be a black bear; not that
his fur was altogether black, as is the case with the _ursus americanus_
and the black bears of India. On the contrary, the hair was brown near
the roots, and only black at the tips, which, however, gave it the
appearance of being black all over the surface; and Alexis knew that
this was the variety of bear they were in search of.

Satisfied that they had obtained the skin of the _ursus niger_, it only
remained for our hunters to pack up their travelling traps, bid adieu to
the cold climate of Scandinavia, and start for the sunny south--for the
far-famed Pyrenees of Spain.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE PALOMBIERE.

It is not intended to detail the many incidents that befell them on the
way, the chit-chat of steamboats, railroads, and hotels. Their father
cared not to hear of these trifles; he could read enough of such
delightful stuff in the books of whole legions of travellers; and, as
they did not note anything of this kind in their journal, we are left to
suppose that they encountered the usual pleasures and _desagremens_
which all travellers must experience on similar journeys. As money was
no object, they travelled with expedition--making only a short stay in
the great capitals through which they passed, in order to have their
passports _vised_, and sometimes for the purpose of using the great
emperor's letter for the replenishment of their exchequer. This magic
document proved all-powerful everywhere they went; and as they knew it
would be so in all corners of the habitable globe, they could rely upon
it with perfect confidence. Pouchskin's leathers bag was always well
weighted with the yellow metal,--and _specie_, whatever stamp it may
bear, is current all over the world.

Their journal merely mentions the route followed. From their
hunting-ground they returned down the Tornea river, which, running due
north and south, of course did not compromise the terms of their
covenant; neither were the conditions infringed by their taking at any
time the backtrack when engaged in the c